Fighting the Mind Worms
Everyone who believes Christ’s message is engaged in spiritual warfare. Yet, too many Christians are losing the battle by playing old worn-out scripts in their heads. They have developed a negative mindset, and constantly their thoughts replay familiar refrains. And these messages, the “I will nevers” prove to be a stumbling block to spiritual engagement. When the mind worms of “I will never succeed” or “I will never change”, or “I will never measure up” or “I can never leave the past behind” start gnawing at us, do we have a strategy to combat them? Are we able to put on the helmet of salvation and overcome our cultural scripts, negative mindsets, and destructive thoughts? Paul gave us some advice in fighting these spiritual battles. He knew the source of the power to beat back the ugly, discouraging thoughts that sometimes seem to overwhelm us.
The Helmet of Salvation
Paul reminded the Corinthians that they had “died” to their old way of thinking, so they could live for Christ. He understood that we, all believers, have a helmet of salvation. The sure knowledge that having been bought by Christ we have an unchanging hope for the future…this is our salvation. Having had our sins forgiven, and our freedom purchased, we could rid ourselves of negative thoughts. Paul, was also a realist, and knew that changing our thoughts was a process that would take time. But with our hope in our future salvation secured, we could face our daily mental battles wholeheartedly. Replacing the dark thoughts with God’s words to enlighten us.
The message of salvation brings with it a deep understanding that we are God’s children — his family. He has moved us out of darkness and into the light. And now he dwells with us by his spirit. But to remain in this relationship we must do battle with an implacable spiritual enemy, daily. So God’s advice as a Father to his children, is that we guard our thoughts with the helmet of salvation.
Capture Every Thought – Spiritual Warfare
Christ made it clear that the things that ‘defile’ people are not physical, but spiritual. It is the vile or evil thought, that when entertained leads us to foolish action that separates us from God. So Paul warns believers to be diligent, alert, and sober-minded. We must root out the evil thoughts that defile us and are motivated by: guile, pride, foolishness, laziness, deceit, and selfishness. Why? Because, we are God’s children and want to be diligently thinking and doing the things that represent his values.
Our spiritual warfare helps us to capture every negative thought that makes us vulnerable. We can recognize the thoughts that are the enemies tactics: doubt, negativity, hate, hypocrisy, fantasy, and falsehood. And we can guard our thoughts with the helmet of salvation, the promise of eternal life with our Father. When the evil thoughts are attempting to overwhelm us, we can have direct contact with our Father. Through prayer and study, our Father will fill our minds with his thoughts. His thoughts will give us the correct perspective on any situation. His thoughts will be a source of stability and protection in our daily conflict with evil. And his spirit will guide us into an ever deeper understanding of God’s love for us as his children. This will give us confidence.
God asks us to guard the doors of our minds. We do this by focusing on the future that God has promised to his children. If we have the humility to walk with him, he will be our joy and delight. God will hear our prayers, supply our needs, and help us succeed. This is God’s plan for us. We must put on this helmet of salvation daily, in order to effectively combat the old ways of thinking and put on the mind of Christ. Are you prepared to fight the battle of the mind, and engage in spiritual warfare?